1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle mount structure for fuel cell stack.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in which an anode electrode is disposed on one surface of an electrolyte membrane, which is a solid polymer ion-exchange membrane, and a cathode electrode is disposed on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane. The membrane electrode assembly and separators, sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly, constitute a power generation cell (unit cell). Typically, a predetermined number of power generation cells are stacked to form a fuel cell stack, which is used, for example, as a vehicle fuel cell stack mounted in a fuel cell vehicle (fuel cell electric automobile or the like).
In a vehicle fuel cell stack, fuel cells need to be reliably protected against vibration generated when the vehicle is moving and an external load generated when a collision or the like occurs. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-101058 describes a fuel cell vehicle having a structure for protecting fuel cells.
The fuel cell vehicle includes a mount mechanism on which a fuel cell stack is mounted. The mount mechanism includes a back holder that fixes a back part of the fuel cell stack in the vehicle-length direction to a vehicle body frame. The mount mechanism further includes a front holder that holds a front part of the fuel cell stack in the vehicle-length direction. When an external load is applied to the fuel cell vehicle, the front holder becomes deformed and maintains the function of holding the fuel cell stack.
It is described that it is possible to reduce accidental removal of the fuel cell stack from the mount mechanism when an external load is applied to the fuel cell vehicle and to simplify the structure of the fuel cell vehicle.